A Soldier's Question: Spring, 1917

Item

A Soldier's Question: Spring, 1917

A Soldier's Question: Spring, 1917

CURSE I the Spring that God has sent

Raising such discord in my soul?

'Twas fitter when the winter's blast

Could lash my spirit to the mast

And send me drugged by brute control

To battle with a grim content!

Then Death took hold on the neck of Life

And Earth's rough scalp lay touzled and scarred.

And the winter-scream swept round me fierce—

The softer visions to disperse—

While stripped by storms I stood on guard

Cleaving the wind with keener knife.

But now with Spring to dream or grieve

I am tempted, and the blushful day

Reveals her old-time beauty, far

From mating with the ghost of War.

Am I then laggard if I pray

From this soul's scaffold quick reprieve?

Title
A Soldier's Question: Spring, 1917
Identifier
greatwar_moresongs2034
Item sets
More Songs By the Fighting Men
Media
<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="" class="head">A Soldier's Question: Spring, 1917</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">A Soldier's Question: Spring, 1917</p><p class="line">CURSE I the Spring that God has sent</p><p class="line">Raising such discord in my soul?</p><p class="line">'Twas fitter when the winter's blast</p><p class="line">Could lash my spirit to the mast</p><p class="line">And send me drugged by brute control</p><p class="line">To battle with a grim content!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Then Death took hold on the neck of Life</p><p class="line">And Earth's rough scalp lay touzled and scarred.</p><p class="line">And the winter-scream swept round me fierce—</p><p class="line">The softer visions to disperse—</p><p class="line">While stripped by storms I stood on guard</p><p class="line">Cleaving the wind with keener knife.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">But now with Spring to dream or grieve</p><p class="line">I am tempted, and the blushful day</p><p class="line">Reveals her old-time beauty, far</p><p class="line">From mating with the ghost of War.</p><p class="line">Am I then laggard if I pray</p><p class="line">From this soul's scaffold quick reprieve?</p></div></body></html>